After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 6.2

Besides, Ying Xu wasn’t sure if this was just Cheng Jun’s speculation or if someone else was pulling strings behind the scenes.

Her thoughts were in turmoil, but her gaze never wavered from Cheng Jun’s. Instead, she feigned slight confusion. “What do you mean?”

Cheng Jun’s lips parted slightly, her eyes curving into crescents. Ying Xu’s heart pounded with tension,

Then, in the next second, she heard the woman say with a playful smirk, “You’re much more beautiful than on the show.”

Ying Xu:

Ying Xu’s smile grew more practiced. “Thank you.”

The car came to a stop in front of a building, a private property, it seemed, as vehicles weren’t allowed any closer. From here, one could only proceed on foot.

“You’re welcome,” Cheng Jun replied, turning her face slightly with a light laugh, though her gaze upon the building was utterly indifferent. “It’s my first time acting in this kind of scene too. I just hope Miss Ying can guide me a bit more afterward.”

“After all, I’ve liked you for a long time.”

The snow fell heavier now.

In the meeting room, steam curled from cups of tea. The director, all smiles, handed one to Gu Qingzhu, who accepted it with thanks but drank only from the unopened bottle her assistant passed her.

“This discussion isn’t something we wanted to initiate,” the director explained. “It’s mainly because Mr. Sheng hopes his daughter can learn something from this, so.”

Gu Qingzhu nodded. “Understood.”

Though she said she understood, her eyes drifted to the window, her disinterest plain.

Sheng Changming’s doting on his daughter was legendary in their circles, whatever she wanted, she got. Making a film was no exception.

When Gu Qingzhu had merely been an acquaintance exchanging nods with him, she could still muster a few words of praise for such “father-daughter devotion.” But now that she had become one of the props in this charade of indulging the young miss, her patience had worn thin.

In Gu Qingzhu’s eyes, no amount of scriptwriting could mask the fact that this production was little more than child’s play.

Acting in this farce was already the furthest she was willing to bend. Now they expected her to sit through script discussions with the princess too? What was this?

As Gu Qingzhu’s expression darkened further, her assistant whispered, “Qingzhu, Sister Shan mentioned this morning that there’s new news from Mr. Sheng.”

What the news was, the assistant didn’t know. But whenever Shan Qiaoyun had her relay such messages, Gu Qingzhu’s mood would stabilize almost instantly, faster than any addictive drug.

This time was no different.

After a few moments of silence, Gu Qingzhu reined in her irritation, her usual aloofness returning.

Just as the assistant began to relax, Gu Qingzhu spoke again: “Where’s Ying Xu? Bring her here.”

“Huh?”

The assistant paused, thinking she’d misheard.

Only when Gu Qingzhu repeated herself did the assistant’s lips part slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes.

In the past, whenever Gu Qingzhu mentioned Ying Xu, it was either in the throes of uncontrollable emotions, summoning the Alpha solely to vent her anger.

Or, as yesterday, when Ying Xu had somehow provoked Gu Qingzhu’s displeasure, giving her a reason to torment the other.

Never once had it been with such calm detachment, as though it were the most mundane request, as though mentioning her was simply to.

See her.

Uncertain of Gu Qingzhu’s intentions, the assistant tread carefully. “Qingzhu…”

They were still on set. If Gu Qingzhu lost control in front of everyone, gossip would spread, and her reputation could suffer.

Gu Qingzhu might not care, but the assistant had been sternly warned by Shan Qiaoyun to avoid any negative publicity.

“Is what I said unclear?”

Impatience crept into Gu Qingzhu’s tone, though even she couldn’t pinpoint the source of her agitation.

She didn’t understand why, at this moment, Ying Xu had crossed her mind.

She had told Ying Xu to wait earlier for two reasons: first, to make her stew, reinforcing the dynamic between them. when Gu Qingzhu said wait, Ying Xu had no choice but to obey.

Gu Qingzhu’s word was law.

Second, Gu Qingzhu had assumed filming would wrap up quickly.

Who would have thought the production team would suddenly add so many procedures?

Before marking, no matter how intimate the act, the pheromones it produced had an expiration date.

The pheromones obtained from last night’s intimacy had already been exhausted during filming. Gu Qingzhu could feel her patience dwindling, her emotions sliding toward an extreme, and even her sense of time growing hazy.

What was Ying Xu doing now? Was she still waiting in the same spot?

Gu Qingzhu’s fingers unconsciously intertwined, rubbing against each other.

She found the thought absurd. How could a living person possibly stay rooted to the spot just because of a single command? But recalling how Ying Xu had stood in the rain outside the mansion the night before, the Alpha seemed exactly that type.

Stubborn beyond words.

After a few seconds of silence, Gu Qingzhu added, “If she’s not there, forget it.”

The assistant didn’t dare say another word, afraid of angering her, and turned to leave. But just before she opened the door, a pair of hands pushed it open from the other side.

A figure in white slipped inside, strands of hair dusted with snow that melted in the warmth of the room, leaving the Omega’s hands damp.

“When are we starting?” The woman’s gaze swept across the spacious conference room before settling on Gu Qingzhu’s face.

“I have a lot to do. I don’t have time to play house with you.”

The newcomer had the face of a classic beauty, her wool-like curls slightly tousled, a pink butterfly hairpin nestled in her locks, adding a playful charm.

Gu Qingzhu had heard of Sheng Qiuyu for as long as she had collaborated with Qinghong Entertainment.

Most children spoiled by their families risked turning out spoiled, but Sheng Qiuyu, doted on by the entire Sheng household, was different. She was like a “sunflower of love” the more affection she received, the better she thrived. At least within Sheng Changming’s circle, everyone agreed that aside from her delicate temperament, Sheng Qiuyu had no flaws.

But Gu Qingzhu wasn’t part of that circle, so she harbored no inexplicable fondness for Sheng Qiuyu.

During her rut, Gu Qingzhu had little patience for anyone.

The moment the Omega’s trailing words faded, Gu Qingzhu scoffed lightly, “The star of the houseplay saying she doesn’t want to play house.”

She said this while still looking out the window, as if it were just an offhand remark.

Yet Sheng Qiuyu’s steps faltered, her eyes locking onto Gu Qingzhu, her voice thick with indignation. “If it weren’t for you, would I even be here?”

Sheng Qiuyu was busy with her studies and had never paid attention to the entertainment industry before, let alone had any interest in acting.

But since the beginning of the year, her father, Sheng Changming, had mentioned a particular production in every call, urging her to take the lead role, citing that “this project is crucial for Qinghong Entertainment.”

An entertainment company, short of a leading actress? The call happened to fall on April Fool’s Day, so Sheng Qiuyu naturally assumed it was a joke and agreed casually. It wasn’t until recently, when she received a full script, that she realized her father was serious.

But this time, when Sheng Qiuyu pressed for a reason, the man’s answer changed: “It was Gu Qingzhu who insisted you participate.”

Most of Qinghong Entertainment’s revenue came from Gu Qingzhu, who was also one of the few celebrities Sheng Qiuyu recognized.

Recognized, but not familiar, which only fueled her growing irritation toward Gu Qingzhu.

Call it a request, but to Sheng Qiuyu, it was no different from a threat. Even her own family rarely demanded anything of her. What right did Gu Qingzhu, a stranger, have?

The director never expected that the two actors in the crew who were least to be offended would start arguing the moment they met.

Cold sweat dripped down his back as he struggled to understand the source of their hostility. He attempted to smooth things over: “Speaking of which, the other actors will be arriving soon. Teacher Gu, Miss Sheng, let’s go over the script together.”

In Gu Qingzhu’s eyes, most people fell into two categories: useful and useless. Regardless of which, as long as they didn’t cross her bottom line, they weren’t worth her time or energy to deal with.

She couldn’t be bothered to care about Sheng Qiuyu’s inexplicable hostility toward her.

Being outright ignored like this made Sheng Qiuyu’s expression darken even further.

The director was innocent, after all, and she didn’t want to drag him into it. With a huff, she sat back down and stopped picking fights.

For a while, the only sound in the conference room was the rustling of pages being turned.

Until a woman’s voice cut through the silence.

“I won’t say it a third time.”

Sheng Qiuyu frowned and looked up to see Gu Qingzhu, for some unknown reason, suddenly turn cold toward her assistant standing behind her.

Over the past two days, Sheng Qiuyu had dug up a lot of information about Gu Qingzhu.

Her sources were different from ordinary people’s, so she had uncovered many incidents that Qinghong Entertainment had suppressed.

For example, Gu Qingzhu was notoriously arrogant and disrespectful. At one awards ceremony, a fellow actor had asked for her autograph backstage, only to be met with a sneer: “You think you deserve it?”

Or how Gu Qingzhu had a chaotic personal life and cared nothing for her reputation, there was a whole stack of photos of her out and about with various lovers.

But what angered Sheng Qiuyu the most among all the materials was how Gu Qingzhu had once gotten into a heated argument with a former assistant who had a physical disability over some trivial matter.

The assistant had been berated mercilessly in front of everyone. By the time they posted about it online, their emotions were on the verge of collapse. Though they eventually received compensation, Gu Qingzhu never addressed the incident not even offering a single word of apology.

With these preconceptions, Sheng Qiuyu’s impression of Gu Qingzhu was rock bottom.

Witnessing the scene before her, she naturally assumed it was Gu Qingzhu’s true colors showing. Without hesitation, she sneered, “Is this how the esteemed Best Actress treats her staff?”